


Dust in the Wind

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Drama, Post War, Post-War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-27
Updated: 2009-08-27
Packaged: 2018-10-27 16:52:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10813002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: The Death of Charlie Weasley. Part of my "When I Became An Angel" series.





	Dust in the Wind

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).
> 
> **Author's notes:**
> 
> I would like to thank AccioHBP for her brilliant editing and putting up with my crazy ideas. She has become such a close friend and I adore her so much.  And to kareem33...Percy's death has been written! *grins*
> 
> *hugs*
> 
> missgranger2 
> 
>   

“When I Became an Angel” Series

Dust in the Wind: The Death of Charlie Weasley

Charlie surveyed the new paddock he had helped construct and smiled.  Other workers breezed past him with large bales of hay.  As they started to distribute the hay upon the floor, one of the workers by the name of Jamie looked up at Charlie and smirked, “So you really think that Wilma will let ya’ get that egg from her, eh?”

 Charlie smiled back at him.  “I reckon I got my work cut out for me with old Wilma, but I’ve dealt with worse.”  He began to chuckle.  “’Member when that crazy Blue Welch caught my arse on fire?”

Laughing heartily at the memory, Jamie stood back up and leaned against the wall.  “Aye!  That shite was funny, especially when you sat down on the ground and started to scoot yourself about to put the fire out.  I nearly pissed in me britches that day.”  Jamie wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes.  “How long was it again before you were able to sit down?”

“Nearly two weeks.  Even with the healing spells and that Dragon Fire Ointment my arse still felt as if someone was taking a torch to it non-stop.” 

“Ah well, I suppose it taught you a valuable lesson; never for a second can you take your eyes off the wretched beasts, lad.”  Jamie patted him on the shoulder.  “You watch yourself today with that barmy lass.  Ol’ girl has one hell of a temper.”

“No worries there, Jamie.  I’ll be in and out of her paddock with that egg before you can say Bob’s your uncle.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Charlie closely observed Wilma for most of the day.  He was watching how she moved and any characteristics that might reveal a weakness he could use to his advantage.  The Hungarian Horntail kept close to her single egg that lay in the middle of a nest built from the hay.  Wilma had also been studying Charlie, who was safely behind a magical barrier situated around her paddock. 

Charlie didn’t like how she was staring him down and blowing a small stream of fire his way every so often.  _Clever bitch knows something’s up!_ He stood his ground and narrowed his eyes at her suddenly, not wanting her to think for one minute that her antics scared him.  Charlie knew from experience that though dragons were temperamental and deadly creatures, they could still be somewhat intimidated by a keeper who didn’t show them any fear.

Wilma made a deep growl and blew smoke from her nostrils.  “You don’t much like me, do you, girl?”  Charlie laughed.  “And I bet a million galleons that you’re going to try and make my life a living hell when I’m inside your paddock, aren’t you?”  

Jamie came and stood beside him, smiling appreciatively at Wilma.  “Bloody hell, she’s lookin’ fit to be tied.”  He looked at Charlie.  “Found a weakness, lad?”

Charlie shrugged.  “I think so.  You know all the dragons are shackled by the ankle to the ground but they can still move fast as lightening.”  He shook his head and pointed at Wilma.  “Not her.  No, that one’s put on too much weight, I think.  She’s definitely slow as molasses.”

“So you think you’ll have speed on your side, then?”

“It looks like it.  I’ll just need to distract her somehow, snatch the egg and run.”

“Hmm… you need a distraction.”  Jamie cupped his chin with his hand as he thought for a moment.  “You could throw a side of beef to the right or left of her as it’s damn obvious she likes her food.”

Charlie raised his eyebrows.  “I suppose that might work.  As soon as she flies toward the beef, thinking I’m feeding her, then I’ll make my move.”  Charlie started nodding his head.  “Yeah, I think that will work.”

“Let’s go to the slaughter house and pick out a good-sized piece of meat then, eh?”

~*~*~*~*~*~**~

Charlie used his wand to lift the protection spell from a small part of the barrier.  He entered the paddock, levitating a large side of beef with his wand in front of him.  Wilma began to huff, and blew a large stream of fire toward him.  Charlie dodged it just in time and began to chuckle.  “Almost got me there, Wilma!  But you’re going to have to do better than that, old girl.”

Charlie’s eyes never broke from hers.  He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins.  It was the danger of the job that excited him so much, being merely a few feet now from the large Hungarian Horntail.  Charlie used his wand to levitate the meat close to her face.  Wilma began to sniff and eagerly shifted her attention from Charlie to the side of beef.

“That’s my girl.  Doesn’t that meat smell awfully good?”  He waved his wand and the side of beef went flying to the left of the paddock.  Wilma hesitated for a moment before hoisting herself into the air toward where the meat had landed.  “Brilliant.”  Charlie slipped his wand hurriedly into the back pocket of his jeans, ran and snatched the large egg, holding it between his gloved hands.

He was just about at the opening when Wilma swooped down and landed right in front of him, blocking his way.   Breathing hard, Charlie looked up to see a very agitated mother dragon looking down at him.  He swallowed hard.  “You’re a clever girl, aren’t you?  I bet you knew what I was up to all along.”

Jamie yelled from the barrier.  “Drop the egg, Charlie, and get your arse out of there right now!”

Charlie nodded his head slowly.  Never taking his eyes off Wilma, he bent his knees slowly and lowered the egg down, setting it on the ground.  He rose back up just as slowly and his right hand shakily went behind his back to retrieve his wand.  

Jamie was watching, a look of horror on his face.  Initially, there wasn’t much he could do to help with the barrier in place.  His mind made up, he yelled, “I’m comin’ in there to help you, lad!”

“NO!”  Charlie yelled back.  “It’s too dangerous, just stay where you are!” Jamie knew as well as Charlie that an angry dragon was highly unpredictable and would likely begin blowing fire in all directions. Charlie was stumbling backwards as the dragon began to move forward.  The terrain in her paddock was rocky in some places and Charlie was finding it difficult to maneuver himself.   Wilma had pursued him until he found himself close to the far wall of the paddock.  Shaking like a leaf and still moving backwards, he finally got a hold of his wand and aimed it wildly at the dragon.  Before he could get a spell off, he tripped over a good-sized rock and fell down on his back to the ground.  To his complete horror, he realized that he had lost his wand when he fell and now was completely helpless as he stared up at Wilma.  Knowing she now had him where she wanted him, he simply grinned up at her.  “Well done, Wilma.”  Charlie closed his eyes and bowed his head in defeat.

He knew what was coming now and there was no way he’d be able to move in time with her being at such close range.  Snarling, Wilma wrenched head back and then brought it forward shooting a large billowing flame out from her mouth that hit Charlie where he lay.  Jamie’s mouth dropped open in shock.  “Charlie?!  Charlie?!”  Wilma turned around and walked back to where Charlie had set her egg down. Seeing that it was gone, she began flapping her wings rapidly, alternately wailing and growling.  

 Jamie looked at the ground where Charlie last was and saw that there was nothing now but a pile of ashes.  The wind began to scatter what was left of Charlie inside the paddock as Jamie held up the dragon’s egg so that Wilma could see he had it.   The dragon thrashed wildly, breathing fire non-stop at the barrier where Jamie stood.  Tears streaming from his eyes, Jamie placed the egg on the ledge and took a few steps back.  He aimed his wand at it. “ _Reducto!_ ”  The egg exploded, leaving nothing more than traces of goo and crumbled shell behind.  

Wilma stopped her tirade at once and stared at Jamie with anguished, fiery eyes.  He wiped his eyes, a wry grin on his face.   “That’s right!  I came in and grabbed your bloody precious egg when you were busy killing my friend.  And now we’re even- a life for a life, you miserable bitch!”  Wilma half-heartedly blew a stream of fire in his direction and then turned from him, her head bowed and wings drooping in apparent defeat.  Jamie began to sob once more and whispered toward the paddock. “May you rest in peace, Charlie.  I’ll miss you, lad.  I’ll bloody well miss you.”                       

   

 

                    

     

 

         

  


End file.
